The plot
A novel & film tell a story of fictitious President of the United States Jordan Lyman (Fredric March), who bears the striking physical similarity to real-globe U.S. President Lyndon Baines Johnson but whose political views more closely mirror victims of the late Ohio Senator Robert A. Taft. A instance is Will, erstwhile inside a Seventies (although the film was freed in 1964.) When a story begins, Lyman faces the wave of public dissatisfaction sustaining his guide to ratify a pact by using the Soviet Union, an agreement that will purportedly effect within two nations at the same time destroying their nuclear weapons under reciprocal international review. This move is pleasantly unpopular using segments of the President's political opposition & sustaining a armed services, world health organization from each one suppose a Soviets can't exist as trusted.

When a debate in top a accord rages on, an alert & easily-placed Pentagon insider, USMC Colonel Martin "Jiggs" Casey (Kirk Douglas) becomes aware of a conspiracy including the Joint Chiefs of Staff and led by his own superior officer, a magnetic head of the JCS, Air Click General James Mattoon Scott (Burt Lancaster), who along by owning their allies around Congress & the fourth estate come plotting to stage a ''coup d'etat'' to forcibly remove President Lyman and his cabinet from office seven days hence. A plot itself, known as ECOMCON (for "Emergency Communications Control"), entails a seizure of the united states's stallion telephone, radio, & television network infrastructure by the secret Army combat unit created & controlled by Scott & depending at Fort Bliss, Texas. When this is done, General Scott & his co-conspirators may control a united states's communications & military plus from either the brobdingnagian underground nuclear shelter known as "Mount Thunder" (according to a actual Alternate Seat of Government maintained by the U.S. at Mount Weather in Berryville, West Virginia) and apply a babies to block the confirmation of the accord. Although personally opposing to President Lyman & to the accord, Casey is appalled per being of this unconstitutional cabal & will bring his findings to Lyman & his inner circle.

When a countdown to takeover begins, each sides maneuver behind a scenes. Colonel Casey is sent by President Lyman to ferret out secrets that may be utilized against General Scott, forcing him to cruelly deceive a general's previous mistress, a vulnerable & winning Ellie Holbrook (Ava Gardner) in order to obtain certain salacious billet doux written to her per general. Whenever Ellie discovers Casey's admittedly intentions, he must pick out between his growing tenderness for her & his oath of allegiance to the Constitution of the United States. Meanwhile, Scott & a machinator choose action against Lyman's nearest consultant, a senescent & alcohol-dependent Georgia Senator Raymond Clark (Edmond O'Brien) and earnest White House aide Paul Girard (Martin Balsam), as they race against time to block the ECOMCON plot.

More on the film

Actor John Houseman (playing the uncredited role of ECOMCON machinator Admiral Farley Barnswell) debuts in the film, & a immature Richard Anderson, better known as Oscar Goldman from either a 1970s ABC-TV hit series The Six Million Dollar Man, makes an early screen appearance when well as Pentagon aide Colonel Murdock. John Frankenheimer directed a film, which garnered many prestigious awards, including the Academy Award nomination for Best Actor around the Supporting Role for O'Brien & a Better Art Counsel-Placed Decoration/Black-&-White Oscar nomination for Cary Odell and Edward G. Boyle. Edward O'Brien as well won the Golden Globe award for his performance in the film.